News

New conservation area for Hackney Road

Hackney Council has designated a new conservation area along Hackney Road.

Following consultation with residents, the Council designated the conservation area to protect the area’s special architectural and historic interest.

Cllr Guy Nicholson, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games, said: “Conservation areas are an important part of our borough’s heritage, representing a cross section of the best surviving examples of different aspects of development from housing, industrial areas, open spaces and town centres.

“Conservation areas are designed to actively encourage high quality contemporary design which is sympathetic to the area’s heritage and built environment.”

The new Hackney Road Conservation Area covers the north side of Hackney Road that lies within the borough and complements the area to the south of Hackney Road, which is in Tower Hamlets and is also a conservation area.

The Hackney Road Conservation Area runs from Waterson Street in the south, takes in the area around Haggerston Park, and then runs along Goldsmith’s Row, and up to Whiston Road on the northern boundary. It is the borough’s 28th conservation area.

The Council has also adopted a Conservation Area Appraisals for the Hackney Road Conservation Area – an illustrated document describing the history and significance of the area and detailing its special character. The appraisal is treated as supplementary planning guidance and forms a material consideration in determining planning applications in the area.

The appraisal includes nineteenth century maps and early photographs to show how the area evolved from fields and farmland in the eighteenth century. It describes the early Georgian houses and shops and the development of retailers and trades, including furniture making, that established themselves in East London. It also includes the history of Haggerston Park, describing its unique features, such as the popular Hackney City Farm, the long walk, the new tennis courts and sports centre.